Why use and make Magic Water
Magic Water is very useful when you want to bond two pieces of clay that are likely to crack during the drying or bisque process. Cracks may occur if one piece of clay dries faster than the other or when the two pieces of clay being joined are not the same consistency (dryness). Both of these situations can cause stress on clay causing it to crack.
What does magic water really do (The Science)
Sodium from the soda ash and sodium silicate are powerful fluxes. Sodium silicate is made by the bond between silicon dioxide and sodium oxide (soda ash). It is often referred to as “water glass”. It will form a hard glass-like mass once dried. The water helps dissolve the soda ash and will therefore help travel a little further into the clay wetting it. The sodium silicate is sticky and when dry becomes really hard and faster than clay will dry. In the end Magic Water makes a sticky layer of almost-glaze or glass that will soak into the surrounding clay to help it bond better and once dried it will become hard. This helps prevent cracks in the drying process and will help it bond stronger once fired.
Here are the supplies you will need to make Magic Water
- Permanent marker
- A spatula or something to stir
- Funnel
- smaller container
- one gallon jug
You only need 3 ingredients to make Magic Water
- A gallon of water
2. 3 tablespoons sodium silicate
3. 1 1/2 teaspoons of Soda Ash
Steps
- CLEARLY label the jug
- Good idea to write the recipe on the jug as well while the jug is dry
- Add half a cup of water to the small container
- Stir to dissolve the soda ash into the water
- Add the sodium silicate
- Using a funnel pour the mixture into the gallon jug
- Shake the jug to mix fully
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